How will I be able to better nurture my spiritual needs next year?

I have been running around, working hard, trying to take care of my family, but what about me? Am I giving myself enough time to grow as a person, to clarify what it is that I am living for? Perhaps some entry into the observance of Shabbat, a day of peace, a day detached from the grind of the routine is what I should consider, so that I may take stock of my spiritual self.

What is my relationship to the environment?

Since nature and its beauty are such integral parts to my own peace, how do I reconcile myself to the obligations that I have to my bounteous surroundings? Perhaps some entry into the world of kashrut, that attempts to bring holiness into my relationship with nature, the animal world, can put me more in touch with myself and my obligations to nurture God’s creation?

Does my mind need more stimulation and growth this year?

Am I reading enough? Studying enough? Am I engaged in thoughtful discussion of great ideas, past and present? Have I let yet another year slip away in which I have not developed my own knowledge of Judaism and the Jewish people? What am I reading, and why?

What is my relationship with the State of Israel?

Is that important and, if it is, should I be giving more of myself to the many challenges that face Israel, which are the same challenges that confront the entire Jewish world? When was the last time I visited the Jewish state? Should I care more about the future of my people in Israel?

How is Judaism different from other faiths, from Christianity, from Islam, from secular humanism?

Have I been able to communicate those differences to my children, so that they have a stronger sense of who they are and what their people and faith are all about?

What is my relationship with God?

Should there be a relationship with God? What does that mean? Am I strictly a materialist, that is, in believing that the only reality is physical, what I can see and touch and have limited knowledge of the pursuit of the meta-physical, that which cannot be quantified, such as belief, values, love and other matters of spirit and commitment?

Belsize Square Synagogue: what can I do in the coming year to help my community, my congregation?

Why should the few among us keep a precious part of my life going while I sit on the sidelines of involvement? Instead of waiting for the synagogue to do something for me and my family, perhaps I should be asking what I can do for the sake of the many, to ensure that there is a viable Jewish community, worthy of the great name of Belsize Square Synagogue. Should I get involved in committee work, come to services more often, or give more financial support to the synagogue? The needs of youth, the elderly, of teaching Torah could very well depend upon what I decide to do for my community in the coming year.

And the most difficult challenge of all:

What can I do in the coming year to enhance and build a better relationship with those I love—my wife/husband, children, grandchildren, grandparents, brothers and sisters, friends and dear ones? Have I been so busy with my own work and interests that I have abandoned those I love the most in this world? Perhaps lighting candles on Friday night and setting aside more time with them would provide a haven of peace and love for us? And how can I become a kinder, warmer, more compassionate and giving person in the coming year?

Life is a constant challenge and struggle to discover more of ourselves and what we mean to the world at large. I hope that the coming summer months leading to the arrival of a new 5773, will bring you solace, direction and shalom.

Rabbi Stuart Altshuler